Bullpen Blows Up After Solid Bleich Start

I’ll update this after I get the team’s release…but Trenton pulled off a come-from-ahead loss against Portland this afternoon, 9-5.

Jeremy Bleich lasted just five innings, but allowed only two runs on two walks and four hits.

Josh Schmidt pitched a scoreless sixth, but things absolutely fell apart after that. Wilkin De La Rosa and Noel Castillo combined to give up seven runs on seven hits and four walks…five of those runs belonged to Castillo, who again has struggled in Trenton. He falls to 0-2 and sports a lofty 11.57 ERA.

Austin Romine, Brandon Laird, Luis Nunez and Marcos Vechionacci each had two hits for Trenton in the loss.

UPDATE: Here’s the release…

(PR) Trenton, NJ- In a game that stayed close all afternoon and was then broken wide open in the ninth, the Thunder came up on the short end, falling to the Sea Dogs 9-5 on Sunday. With the loss, Trenton is now 9-7on the season.

After both teams exchanged one run each in the first inning, Juan Apodaca hit a solo home run off Thunder LHP Jeremy Bleich over the right field wall to make it 2-1 Portland.

Trenton came back to take the lead in the third inning with two runs off Portland LHP Felix Doubront. Austin Krum walked with one out, and scored on a RBI double by Austin Romine. The next hitter, Brandon Laird, singled in Romine and made it 3-2 Trenton.

Marcos Vechionacci’s RBI single in the sixth inning made it 4-2 Thunder, and Trenton seemed to be in command going into the seventh inning. However, LHP Wilkin De La Rosa came on in relief and allowed two runs off four Portland hits, and the game was tied at four.

RHP Noel Castillo (0-2) came out to pitch the ninth inning and the first two batters reached base on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Portland’s Lars Anderson then punished Castillo for his miscues, launching a three-run home run over the right field wall to give Portland a 7-4 lead. It was the second home run in the series for Anderson, and two more runs would end up coming around to score for the Sea Dogs in the inning.

The Thunder got one run back in the bottom of the ninth inning before Daniel Brewer would fly out to end the game.

After an off day on Monday, the Thunder will welcome in the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Tuesday to start a three game series from Waterfront Park. RHP David Phelps will get the start for Trenton. New Hampshire counters with RHP Zach Stewart. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.